The kegel myth

When someone is dealing with a pelvic floor issue, they are often told to "just do some kegels" to address it. Maybe this sounds familiar? I'm here to debunk the kegel myth and explain why simply doing kegels doesn't always work...

#1 You may not be doing the kegels correctly

It's important to work with a pelvic health physical therapist to make sure you are coordinating pelvic floor exercises correctly. In my experience, most people don't know how to properly engage those muscles.

#2 Strengthening may not be what you need

In a lot of cases, pelvic floor strengthening is not what is needed to address the issue. For example, the problem may be a tightness or muscle tension problem. Getting a proper assessment of your pelvic floor muscles is important to determine what is going on for you specifically.

#3 Kegels may actually make your problem worse

As I mentioned above, if your problem is due to an overactive pelvic floor or you are not performing them correctly, then doing kegels may make your symptoms worse!

#4 Your issue may be a timing/coordination problem

If your pelvic floor issues are due to poor coordination or motor control of your pelvic floor muscles, then just simply doing kegels won't fix it! To retrain proper movement patterns, it requires specific coaching and functional training.

#5 Kegels don't translate to function

Think about it, if you are leaking pee when you walk, jump or run. Then doing an isolated kegel 100 times a day while laying down, is not going to translate to the high impact demand of walking, jumping or running. Your pelvic floor exercises have to be appropriately tailored towards functional activities. I can't stress enough how important it is to work with a pelvic floor PT to make sure you have an individualized and function-based treatment program